Suspected God and country arsonist faces new federal charge

Lane Lambert

Wednesday

Nov 24, 2010 at 12:01 AMNov 24, 2010 at 7:53 PM

Former Holbrook resident James Andrew Dix was arrested in October for allegedly setting a gasoline fire at a federal probation office in Plymouth. He told police he did it so he would be sent back to federal prison.

A former Holbrook man suspected of being the “God and country” arsonist has been formally charged in federal court.

James Andrew Dix, 64, of Brockton is charged with setting a gasoline fire in a federal probation office on Long Pond Road in Plymouth on the night of Oct. 4. The building was seriously damaged. No one was in it at the time.

If convicted, Dix could be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and fined up to $250,000.

Dix was sent to the Bridgewater Treatment Center for 30 days of observation after his arrest. He continues to be held at the Plymouth County jail, but a U.S. attorney’s office spokeswoman says he will be transferred to federal custody later.

No pretrial court session has been scheduled yet.

Dix allegedly told police at the fire scene, “I did it,” because he was angry about a meeting with his probation officer there that day. He also said he was about to be evicted from his apartment and going to lose his driver’s license, so he wanted to be sent back to federal prison because he was out of options.

At Dix’s initial arraignment, a Plymouth County prosecutor said Dix also told police, “Do I have to start a fire and be standing right there in order to get some attention?”

Dix has long been suspected of being the “God and country” arsonist who set fire to some 40 churches and veterans halls in the area in the 1980s and ’90s. He was never charged for any of those fires.

Reach Lane Lambert at llambert@ledger.com.

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